On another note, they're saying on CNN right now that U.S. Intelligence has it that Republican Guard members have orders to use chemical weapons if the coalition makes it to Baghdad. There's a shock.


Of course US intelligence says that. US intelligence says a lot of things that turn out to be bunk. If Saddam uses chem or bio, then he'll lose what little credibility he has in the eyes of the world. Right now he's "in the right", because he's been insisting that he doesn't have chem/bio weapons, and the inspectors haven't found any, so justification for the war is... murky. To use them after claiming he doesn't have them would be disastrous for his campaign in courting public opinion. Probably his greatest desire (aside from staying alive and in power) is to cause the US a *huge* amount of embarassment by not having it find what it keeps saying is there, and so also causing it to lose all credibility in the eyes of the world. I don't think his ego would allow him to use chem/bio, knowing that by doing so, the US would be proved correct and public opinion would turn against him.